This review may contain spoilers
“Like the hawk that soars freely, you reject the shackles."
Hei Fengxi and Bai Fengxi are a fated pair. To the world, they're known as the Hei-Bai Fengxi duo, "Hei" and "Bai" as in black and white. They're each other's greatest rivals, companions and partners in crime but also inseparable like light and shadow. It's hard to describe their relationship with just a few simple words."As beautiful as she is lethal." Bai Fengxi is a smart and brave yet carefree heroine who stands in the face of justice. She's a cute glutton when there's good food and a headstrong, cheeky opponent when there's a good fight. Secretly, she's also Princess Feng Xiyun of Qing who's renowned for her intelligence and eloquence.
Hei Fengxi is the embodiment of grace and elegance that's known as a diplomatic and just hero. But underneath that façade, he's extremely cunning and ambitious, just like the endearing nickname "Black Foxy" Bai Fengxi has given him. Like her, he also has a double identity as the Second Prince Feng Lanxi of Yong. From a young age, he was forced to fake illness and learn the ruthlessness of court politics on the path to becoming the royal heir. Hei Fengxi is tough and merciless towards his opponents but incredibly soft-hearted when it comes to his own people, especially Bai Fengxi.
I'm truly in love with the duality of both leads. They're adventurous and playful in the martial arts world, but very dedicated to their royal duties in bringing peace and prosperity to their citizens. There's an unwavering trust and teamwork between Hei and Bai Fengxi that makes them a force to be reckoned with. What's more impressive is that they're both on equal footing where no one side is weaker than the other in talents, martial arts or status. While political schemes and wuxia values do play a major role in the plot, there's a more evident focus on romance.
The chemistry between Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi is so sweet and overwhelming. Admittedly, I didn't know how this couple would pane out in a historical drama but this is way better than any of my wildest dreams. They just click so well together. I can see that both have matured a lot in their acting. Yang Yang has become more experienced with subtle expressions from his role in You Are My Glory, as well as with action scenes from Glory of Special Forces. His background as a contemporary dancer also greatly contributes to the poised and refined portrayal of Hei Fengxi. On the other hand, Zhao Lusi plays the dashing and charismatic Bai Fengxi very well. She's truly badass on so many levels. It's like she has combined the female power from both of her roles in The Romance of Tiger & Rose and The Long Ballad together. Despite the age gap in real life, this pair looks great together on-screen. Though off-screen they're so childish and competitive with each other, it's no wonder Yang Yang said they have the same mental age as a 5-year-old.
This drama also has a very vibrant side cast. Xuan Lu as Feng Qiwu is such a girl crush and I love it when she teams up with Bai Fengxi, total femme fatale style. It's nice to see Wei Wuxian's martial sister kicking up a storm and fighting like a general. The kid playing Han Pu is such a sweetheart. He's a smart little cookie that knows how to bring the vibes. Feng Chang, played by Zhang Tian Yang, is a great older brother. He's protective of Hei Fengxi and really cares for him. Zhang Feng Yi pulls a very convincing act as the sly and cynical King of Yong (Hei Fengxi's father). It's heartbreaking to see Hei Fengxi suffer at his father's callousness.
We can't not talk about the excellent production from the director of none other than Love and Redemption, Ancient Love Poetry and Under the Power. The costumes are absolutely gorgeous and really highlight the duality of the leads. Those high pony tails and headpieces are just chef kiss. The scenery, action scenes and CGI are seamless. I love how Hei Fengxi uses the fan and Bai Fengxi uses her silk ribbon, it's such an effortlessly cool way to fight. Plus, those flying sequences are so satisfying to watch. While the last few episodes do feel a bit rushed, the overall plot remains fairly coherent and easy to follow. As prementioned, it's not supposed to be full-on political, like for say Nirvana in Fire, but emphasises more on the journey of Hei and Bai Fengxi as they traverse the world and discover what is truly the most important in life. Admittedly, there've been a few controversies and problems with the production crew towards the later part of filming, but this drama has turned out to be a fine one so all credits to the cast and staffs.
The OSTs are very complementary as well. Unparalleled (无双) by Liu Yuning is so empowering and intense. Except it's a bit strange to hear from Zhao Lusi's lover in The Long Ballad, if you get what I mean. My favourite got to be Breath of Wind (风息) by Tiger Hu and Ye Xuan Qing as it's very fitting for the Hei-Bai Fengxi couple. A Dream Come True (一梦浮生) by Silence Wang is like a sweet love confession. While Like A Dream (如梦) by Sunny is like a bashful reply to that confession. Lastly, Orphan (孤注) by Tan Wei Wei is the emotional song that hits you least expect it.
*If you're confused about the politics and would like some clarifications, CloudA has put together a fantastic background summary in the Discussion forum below.
FAVOURITE QUOTES:
“If I die, no one will know your [Hei Fengxi's] true face. Life will be boring.” Bai Fengxi
“I can hide anything from the world. Yet, I can’t hide anything from you [Bai Fengxi].” Hei Fengxi
“They always say to love until the ocean and earth run dry. We both know that these are just false promises. To me, I only want to hold your [Bai Fengxi's] hand until the end of life.” Hei Fengxi
“I met you [Bai Fengxi] when I just started in the martial arts world. And thanks to you, I saw the kindness of the world. And thanks to your company, I know what true feelings mean. It’s all thanks to you that I gave the world another chance.” Hei Fengxi
“They said sometimes you had to lose one thing in order to gain another. But some things are too painful to be let go. I can’t let go of her [Bai Fengxi] no matter how hard I try… I can let go of all my mortal desire except for this one. I can discard three thousand strands of woes but let me keep this one strand… Let it bind me for the rest of my life.” Hei Fengxi
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Incredible Romance
When I first came across Fake Princess, the title sounded cliche and the storyline tropey. I was not familiar with the actors. I thought I would watch the first episode and drop the series. To my surprise, not only I didn't drop it, in fact I was rather enjoying this drama.She is a bandit and he's a crown prince. She wants his telescope so she steals it and they meet, and later marry each other without him knowing the actual identity of the person he is marrying. He has assumed that she's the granddaughter of the Prime Minister, his arch enemy, and a mole planted by him (the Prime Minister). But despite all the suspicions and distrusts, very quickly they fall in love with each other and become inseparable. Everything they do is for each other. Never once they betray the other. Each is always there to save the other. As a viewer, it's hard for me to drop such heart-warming storyline.
I love the Chang Le (Yu Kai Xin/Eleanor Lee) character - altruistic. wise, strong, humble, quick-witted, and intelligent. She is also unusually technologically talented. Yu Kai Xin has that casual expression and body language on her that fits perfectly well for the bandit character she's portraying.
Li Che (Zhao Yi Qin) the crown prince is one of the most adorable crown princes I've ever seen. He doesn't have the normal sharp good look of a crown prince that we are so familiar with. Instead, Li Che tends to have a blank face, a clueless look most of the time, giving the viewers the impression that he's not that smart. Perhaps he's indeed not as smart as his wife, but his devotion and upstandingness capture us all. In front of Chang Le, Li Che is like a teddy bear - compliant, devoted, silly and loving; he becomes a little boy, dependent and gullible. Zhao Yi Qin is new to me but his acting here is wonderful, delivering his character 100%.
My favorite scene of the couple would have been the moment when both try desperately to save the other from the 'poison' both have ingested. The altruism in each is amazing and brings tears to my eyes. Both are faithful to each other with one united heart.
There are 2 incredibly well-developed side couples here - Zhu Yan/Li Heng and Nong Yi/Gong Sun Mo. I have always thought the Zhu Yan/Li Heng couple would have a tragic ending whereas the Nong Yi/Gong Sun Mo a happy one. With a twist of events, they do not end as I have expected, and it's painful to watch the loss.
The villains are despicable characters. Having said that, the Prime Minister is villainous and yet super funny when it comes to his beloved teapots. I laughed so much at those scenes because they are so unexpected of his character. Being mean and nasty but not so intelligent make the villain characters very entertaining and a joy to watch.
The wuxia scenes are extremely well executed. Beautiful fighting choreography, floating hair and flying clothing making the whole scenes stunning to watch. Absolutely wonderful.
Yes, this is a good drama deserves our valuable time to watch. Don't miss it!
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Unfortunately, like an emotion, it has to be felt to be understood. Just like words frequently falter at expressing our feelings so they also falter at describing this beautiful drama.
With dismal ratings in Korea, the show even ended up being cut to 12 episodes. But even though the loss of those four is a tragedy and the show was forced to speed up its storytelling to compensate, it is still an almost-perfect study of grief, loss and how we grapple with the hole people leave in the world when they pass.
Jung Hae-in always gives lovely understated performances and his portrayal of the inventor Moon Ha-won is no exception. Ha-won has loved and lost but always from afar as he observes life but fails to live it. He is an inventor in the world of artificial intelligence working on recreating the personalities of lost loved ones for therapeutic purposes. He is driven by the need to understand both the sudden death of his mother when he was 18 and the loss of his childhood friend, Kim Ji-soo (Park Joo-hyun), whose husband insisted she break ties with him after their marriage.
While working on the project he acquires a recording studio to lay down voices and meets orphaned sound engineer, Han Seo-woo. Chae Soo-bin is wonderful here as the warm but still grief-stricken Seo-woo. These two embark on a healing relationship of mutuality and reciprocity. This couple's ability to understand and accept the other's losses and to each give and take to an equal extent is heartwarming to watch unfold.
At one point in the drama, Ha-won suggests Banbogi: a meeting between two people who love each other at a midway point between the two. Bangobi encapsulates the reciprocity and mutuality between the two. One does not go to the other, whether physically or emotionally. They always meet in the middle.
Our core couple orbit the black hole that is the loss of Ji-soo. But around them swirl a host of other damaged characters. Ha-won's niece , Moon Soon-ho (Lee Ha Na) who has taken nine years to get over a bad breakup. Jis-oo's controlling and almost-abusive husband, Gang In-wook (Kim Sung-gyu). And the found family of guests living in the boarding house that Seo-woo took shelter in after the death of her family.
While the show examines grief in all its iterations - whether through the death of a loved one, a relationship, or even the person you used to be - it's also about the way in which we grapple with the hole a person leaves in the world when they're gone. How we want just a piece of them to hold onto and how we struggle with the realisation that we will never know what they were thinking because we can never speak to them again.
The Ji-soo AI that Ha-won creates becomes that piece. But it's through Ha-won and In-wook's reactions to that piece that we see most clearly what this drama is trying to say. People are not pieces or object to possess, control or dominate. We will never own them, just as we will never know truly what they think and feel. But that isn't necessary to gain comfort and strength from them and to give that comfort and strength in return.
Grief is overcome by connection and community but most of all through true mutuality. And that's the most heartwarming message of all.
I can only hope that now it's over, people can finally realise what a gem this show was. And maybe, just maybe, next time Korea produces something as finely-written and beautiful as this, people will watch it.
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Let me tell you why you shouldn't shelf this drama aside as 'yet another time traveling drama'
- The series focuses on our main leads, who have been married for 14 years and are getting divorced. It stresses on the fact that marriage is not simply the happy ending, as it's normally shown in dramas. Throughout the whole show, little by little, we get to see what it was that went wrong with our OTP in the first place. The drama portrays the painful reality of marriage.
- Going back in time to change one's past mistake might not appear to be a fresh idea for a drama. But believe me when I say this, that the execution is simply top-notch. This drama hits all the right notes for the viewers. This drama explores the question of If you could go back, back to the time before it all started, what would you do? Would you make the same decisions you made before? Or would you do something you didn't get to do before?
- This drama is just so beautifully realistic in it's approach. Whether it's the flashback scenes or back to the time 1999 scenes, every struggle, every problem, every situation that our leads face is handled in such a realistic way, that it's hard not to appreciate that.
- This drama is going to play with your emotions. And I mean this in the best way. One second, it'll make you laugh out loud. And the next, it'll have you tearing up. Specially the scenes of Seo Jin and Jin Joo with her mom will have you crying out loud. So better prepare some tissues, 'cause you're going to bawl your eyes out in every episode.
- The second lead syndrome is really strong in this one, there's no denying this. The first few episodes, (or in some cases, maybe throughout the whole drama) you're going to ship the leads with the second leads. Specially Nam Gil sunbae. He's simply...perfect. He's cute, kind, funny and well, always there for our lead girl. It's impossible not to fall for this guy.
- One of the best things about this drama, and one that I really loved is the narration by Ban Do & Jin Joo at the opening and ending scenes of every episode. I love how they start with something painfully honest, and end with something hopeful.
- Instead of asking yourself what does this drama has to offer you, question what doesn't it has to offer you. My answer- Nothing! Yup. Might sound unbelievable, but it's true. And you'll realize it too. This drama has everything from comedy, romance, friendship to slice-of-life and nostalgia. Every genre is balanced enough to give viewers an unforgettable watch.
- The OST is just beautiful and melodious. I have had plenty of dramas where I liked or even loved the OST, but this is one of the few rare dramas where I was moved by the songs. They are just so good and so fitting. My personal favorites being 'Dream' by Lucia & 'Wind Song' by Sohyang.
After reading my review, you might think I overused the word 'beautiful', but honestly, that's the only word I can describe this drama with. It's beautiful. It's heartwarminlgly and hearwrenchingly beautiful. So I sincerely hope that you give this drama a chance.Happy Watching!!
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An honest review of an underrated series
Hi everyone!First and FOREMOST the plot summary does no justice to what a beautiful refreshing drama this is.
Lemme explain why,
1. Don’t judge the rating, As a person who enjoyed- it’s okay to not be okay , DOTS, crash landing on you, RIAB book, what’s wrong with Secretary Kim I ENJOYED THIS DRAMA.
2. This is one of the most REFRESHING Korean dramas I’ve seen in a while. I just feel like people aren’t used to this kind of new aspect. The interview format is lovely. Love the different kinds opinions to taboo topics.
3. I LOVE LOVE THE CINEMATOGRAPHY. No words. Just breathtaking.
4. Even though there is a flashback and present- it’s so beautifully and carefully executed so that it’s always refreshing. LOVED THE BEACH SCENES.
5. There is a bit of a mystery to it and the plot slowly develops but I LOVE THE MOMENTS. THE DRUNK GIRL MOMENT , THE COKE MOMENT AND SO MANYYY MOREEE
6. Another thing I loved is how we don’t have to wait for a kiss between the main leads forever.
7. The tribute to some of the best kinda music out there is fabulous! The rock bands.
8. This drama is an entirely different vibe, you might be scared to give it a try but do go ahead and watch the first 3 episodes. It might be your cup of tea.
9. Gotta love my confident side couples as well. That is a Why a 9/10. I’m waiting for more on them as well.
10. I just strongly believe this is not a 7.9/10 kinda drama. I got super sad looking at the rating. THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THAT. And the actors deserve so much credit for going ahead with producing something new. I REALLY LOVE THAT this is one helluva COMFORTING UNIQUE WATCH. (Atleast for me) It’s really got a very nice energy to it! Watch it!!
Hope you enjoyed the review,
Good day pals;) <33
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Bromance
The first time ever I write a review about a series.So the plot is kinda common, about a cop who hate drugs and try to clean the city from drugs dealer. Then he met a doctor in an incident and both become friends to deal with the master of the drugs dealer. The thing that attract me the most is the bromance between the two main leads. You can say its almost like BL, just got censored. Even so, I still like their bromance as they trust each other so much even when they just met.
So far the story is good enough, lot of things that makes you want to watch more and more. The only problem for now is the subs. From what I read, I think the subs just copy paste from google translate. Even the name sometimes translated. I think this series will have lot of international fans if they could advertise it well and also put proper english subs ASAP.
Two thumbs up. This is one of the drama that i really love and will rewatch it later.
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It's comedic, suspenseful, romantic (wonderfully), full of action (and awesome fight scenes), character development, and deep/heavy/intricate plot lines.
I usually write a review by covering each of the topics I am to rate (e.g. Story, Acting/Cast, Music, etc.), but I feel this drama deserves something more unique. A list of the first things that come to mind when I think of Healer or recommending it to others.
1. Whatever you do don't let this be your first drama.
It can be your second or forty fifth, but don't ruin every other drama by making it your first. It would be like listening to your favorite song for the first time and then only being allowed to listen to &amp;quot;It's a small world&amp;quot; for the rest of your life. (Okay thats a bit of an exaggeration but think of it this way): You won't be able to truly appreciate how wonderful this drama unless you have something to compare it to, and any drama you watch afterwards will fall short of expectations.
2. Whatever you do watch it.
If you have to wait, wait. It's completely worth it. It's ratings are proof of its beauty. I mean its the first drama to break the 9.0, &amp;quot;1 liter of tears&amp;quot; since probably 2006, and the only drama currently in the top 5 (while being surrounded by movies).
3. Relationship goals.
It will become a desire, envy, need, and dream to find a love as wonderful as theirs.
Every time I find a relationship I fall in love with or adore I find certain aspects of that relationship that I want or aspire to, it's kinda like piecing together your dream significant other, but the relationship part instead of the person and what color eyes they'll have.
Healer's aspects: The way they subconsciously recognized each other. The way they looked at each other. How they craved the others' touch. The way they acted like a real couple when they hugged, kissed, and touched each other. The way they spoke to each other. The way you could see how they felt and treasured each other. The reassurance and peace they had when they were together. These are the aspects I personally dream of in a relationship. ( I apologize for gushing, but you'll understand after you watch it).
AKA: the chemistry and acting are A+
4. Plot.
Besides extremely lovable characters, the interconnected relationship and plot lines made me obsess over watching the next episode. I woke up early to get an episode in before school... it was too good to watch while sleep deprived, which brings up point 5..
5. Don't marathon it over night.
The story is basically a drug, it will infest your mind and make you want to marathon the show in 24 hours. Don't let it. Take your time, savor every episode, because it will be over way too quickly.
Imagine your on a diet and your not allowed to eat your favorite food of all time. Now imagine your allowed to eat that food only once (for the last time), don't ruin it by shoveling huge bites into your mouth. Relish every spoonful, forkful, (heck, chopstick-ful) while watching your favorite show, or looking out at a beautiful (your favorite) view. Eat at a leisurely pace: not finishing it in seconds and not putting half into the fridge to save it while slowly letting it go old.
Start, don't rush, savor, enjoy, (possibly cry here or there), finish, and then cry (probably again) because there's nothing left to watch, (then pray your hardest that a drama just as wonderful will air soon), and then (probably) watch it again.
6. There are flaws.
There are probably a ton of flaws in this show, but they are so insignificant that you can't pinpoint them, or they just don't matter to you, because you love even Healer's flaws.
One thing to note: I take rating and reviewing very seriously, because I rely on ratings very heavily as an avid drama fan/watcher. Please don't see my 10/10 rating and just think, &amp;quot;oh it's one of those people who just rate anything they like a 10/10&amp;quot;, because that is not the case. My 10 just shows how high I treasure and enjoyed this drama, and I hope you will too.
P.S. sorry for the length, I hope it was helpful :)
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Story-The story is about how the drama world functions, it tries to highlight the differences and similarities between dramas and real life. In the romantic part it's completely different from any kdrama that I've ever seen. So to give you an idea, the leads are exes, so it isn't about how they fall in love, but rather how real couples relate. I loved it because it was a completely realistic story and the kind of romance that shows is completely mature, as opposed to you typical romcom. Also I love that the story isn't only about their relationship. It really shows how the drama business function, and I loved the stories of the supporting characters, specially Uhm Ki Joon and Seo Hyo Rim's. I love that throughout the drama you can see all kinds of love, and that the main idea it that sometimes reality is way better.
Cast-Hyun Bin and Song Hye Kyo are like the bomb together, they have so much chemistry that at some scenes I thought the whole thing was gonna explode. I wasn't surprised at all when I found out they announced they were a couple in real life two months after the drama, I mean, you could totally see it through the screen. I loved Son Hye Kyo's evolution from Full House to Worlds Within, it shows she really grew as an actress and left behind her innocent self. The supporting actors where all really great, and each really had a chance to shine at least in an episode.
Music-The olnly thing that wasn't perfect in here. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything special. Actually, it resembles a lot to My Girl's OST.
Rewatch Value-Definitely will rewatch it soon, I loved it, specially the cute scenes that make your heart melt.
Overall-This is a great drama, I recommend it for anyone, it has everything from romance (a lot), to comedy, family, friendship, drama and simply life.
I really loved this drama and I hope that through this review I can encourage at least a person to watch it. If you ever read this and because of this start watchingt this drama, please send me a message or leave a comment on my profile, it would mean a lot to me.
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My major frustration is with the three leads. I loved them as a trio. Those moments were my favorite in the show for sure, and their friendship was also the source of many of the emotions I felt while watching. Still, from the very beginning the show is set up as a love triangle, and that's the part where I think this drama falls short. I'll give it credit for not being cliché, but it still didn't really work for me.
The story centers around Im Shi Wan as Wang Won. It's Won's story, so it makes sense that he was the character I liked the most. I thought Shi Wan did a great job in all aspects. He was funny, he was clever, he was stubborn, he was impulsive... and I enjoyed watching his character navigate all of the palace drama without being passive. I think he did an awesome job.
Hong Jong Hyun plays Wang Rin, his partner in bromance. Rin is the straight man, to Won's uninhibited personality, and their dynamic is awesome. I loved that we get to see the start of their friendship too. The show really explores the deepness of their friendship in a way that got me in the feels from the very beginning. It gets very complex, but their love throughout it all is the strongest story in the drama.
Then lastly there is Im Yoon Ah as Eun San. I loved her character in some ways, but she was also the reason for most of my frustration. When she was being brave, impetuous, and independent, I loved her, and her camaraderie with the guys. However, when the obligatory love triangle comes into play, she spends far too much time looking like a deer in headlights. I won't speak too much about specifics, because which guy you root for is mostly about preference, but it really bothers me that by the end all the romance was still questionable. I thought maybe it was the writing, but I honestly think it's that she had trouble pulling off the romantic parts of the story. I've seen better actresses, Ha Ji Won for example, pull complicated love stories off, but I think where Yoona shined in action, comedy, and even some emotional scenes, she left much to be desired in the romance department. Cute moments with Won worked, because their banter was funny, but anything involving serious romance fell flat. I don't think she was bad, but I do think the role was a little out of her league in that respect.
The rest of the cast was good. I loved Jang Young Nam and Oh Min Suk the most out of the supporting cast (both so good at being bad), but there were a lot of great performances. A few characters made no sense to me, but that wasn't the actor's fault, just weird writing. There are a lot of duplicitous characters to keep the story interesting. If you like ancient Joseon political drama, this story definitely has a lot of that to enjoy. If you're not a fan, you will probably get bored about halfway through.
To be clear, this show is 40 episodes, but the episodes are 30 minutes, so really it's like watching a standard 20 episode drama. I thought the show started strong, and ended strong, but somewhere in the middle I began to stop caring. Still, for some reason I just couldn't quit watching. I think that's because of curiosity, and probably because I became attached to the characters, even when the shows seemed to drag. In those times it helped that the episodes were shorter than usual.
Would I watch this again? I'm torn. If I did I would probably be tempted to skip too many scenes. There were a lot of great moments, and like the characters reminiscing, I would probably enjoy revisiting those moments again. Maybe it will feel different watching while knowing how it will all play out, but I think my main frustrations would remain.
Overall, this is a good drama for sageuk fans who want a different kind of story. It is more bittersweet than completely tragic, and there are comedic moments too to add some balance. I think it's far from perfect, and gets messy in the middle, but it all ties together for a touching ending that made me boohoo cry, and smile through my tears. I never heard of the novel before watching, so I am curious what fans of the book thought. It's not the best or worst sageuk around, but if you're in the mood for something a little less typical, this may be exactly the kind of drama you are looking for.
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I gave the story a decent score, only because I think the transformation was pretty impressive, but it was still imperfect in a lot of ways. My first problem with the story was that it didn't know whether it wanted to be a romantic comedy or a melodrama. The main plot revealed a very mysterious and serious backstory, then went into these weird slapstick comedy scenes that just didn't work together. One moment there is a revenge story brewing, then the next moment we are supposed to care about a CEO's anxiety issues, and the obviously planned romance between him and an obnoxious new hire. Add to that the fact that the CEO is too mysterious to be sympathetic, and The leading lady is the most annoying person on planet earth. The only thing that got me through in the beginning were the "Another Miss Oh" cameos, but I listened to viewers who said the story gets better after episode 5. In my opinion things don't start falling into place until episode 7, and that's when I knew I would probably become a fan.
The writers do a great job of justifying the previous bad episodes while completely changing the drama into something more enjoyable. Still, even with the fixes to make it better, the flaw is in how bad the story premise is in the first place. In order to like this drama you can't dwell on how unrealistic the major event of the story is, and instead you have to just go along with the characters on this journey. The characters, and their rewrites, are what made me become a fan.
I eventually adored Yeon Woo Jin as Hwan Ki. This is, in my opinion, his best role so far. Maybe it's the fact that I relate to his shy/socially anxious character a lot, and I thought they did a good job of showing what it's like in a neurotic anxiety filled brain. I was truly impressed by how believable he was, and relatable, and empathetic, and totally unlike the ways I've seen him before. Some people may think it's too exaggerated, but I don't. I also relate to being thought of as scary and intimidating while I'm just sitting and thinking about something to myself. When it comes to his character, I think they nailed it.
He is matched with Park Hye Soo, who's character I initially hated so much that in one scene she actually gets slapped, and I wanted to applaud. She was too pushy, too obnoxious, completely self involved, and not likable in the least. I'm sure the initial point was to create an opposites attract scenario, but they left her with no redeeming qualities, which made me think that the actress was just too young and out of his league. Eventually the rewrite calmed her down, made her more charming and less annoying, and that's when I realized that Hye Soo is really quite talented. I did end up liking them together, and rooting for them to succeed, in spite of the plot making that pretty hard to do. I started to actually see chemistry between them, and although they may not be among my favorite romance duos, I thought they worked well together. Many of their romantic scenes together made me smile, and there were no closed mouth lips barely touching kiss scenes either.
My favorite amongst the rest of the cast was the silent monster staff. Once we were able to get to know their stories the office scenes became fun to watch. Their characters are comedically over the top, but still felt real and relatable. I just get excited seeing Ye Ji Won in anything now, but Heo Jeong Min was hilarious too... And I just rewatched "Another Miss Oh". My next favorite is Jang Hee Jin as Hwan Ki's first love, who was refreshingly different from what's often expected from that kind of role, and made that aspect of the story more entertaining.
The problem with Yoon Park as Kang Woo Il and Gong Seung Yeon as Yi Soo is that even with the rewrites they were still stuck in a melodrama storyline that made no sense to me, so it was impossible for them to not come across as extremely overdramatic at times. They did their best, but I cringed when that storyline would reappear. Writers did make both characters sympathetic, and saved them from becoming 2 dimensional, but their actions remained unbelievable to me, so I just preferred when they were not a major part of the story. Then there's also Lee Kyu Han who plays the ultimate buzzkill. His backstory is eventually explained too, but he kinda just pops out of nowhere at seemingly random times in the story, making it seem like he was only created to be a problem.
If I ever watched this again it would be strictly for Yeon Woo Jin. I had a slight feeling of missing the cast when it was over, but really it's just his character that I am going to miss. I really related so much to him that I just may rewatch it someday... or maybe just clips.
About the music... There are 2 songs form the soundtrack that stood out to me, so in my opinion it was better than ok, but not much better.
Obviously I am biased against the melodramatic storyline, and more a fan of the shy boss rom com storyline, which I think saved this drama from being a major flop. Still, every aspect of the story is explained, and reexplained, and the writers seemed thorough about avoiding loose ends to the very end, which i appreciated. So yes, all questions get answered, even if the answers are hard to swallow. Also, even though some of the last episode seemed like filler, I loved the last moment, and thought it was a great way to end the story... a story who's major theme throughout is being able to express how you feel!
Overall I would recommend this drama for fans of unconventional rom coms with the warning that this story takes a loooooooooooong time to build. If you can sit through the first few episodes filled with annoying characters, misunderstandings, and over the top melodrama, you eventually get to a good story about becoming comfortable with who you are, your own style of being, and expressing how you feel, with a sweet but difficult love story as a bonus.
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Overall, this drama gives you that realisation about life, if what you are doing is making you happy and creating a better you. I cant really write a long review but I would definitely recommend this drama to everyone. It is a MUST WATCH. I really don't think this one is the type to drop or not be interested in.I wouldn't be surprise if Just Between Lovers win awards this year, I am totally rooting for them.
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Misaeng's path of story transcends the typical office narrative. It's not just watching office workers struggle, suffer, get praise, or be joyful. We know these characters; we know their faces and names, their pasts, their hang-ups, and their fears. However, we don't know them only as Jang Geu Rae, Oh Sang Shik, Kim Dong Shik, Jang Baek Ki, Ahn Young Yi, or Han Suk Yeol. We KNOW these people; they are our friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and often, ourselves. That's what Misaeng brings in its storytelling, its cinematography, its constant image of being small in a big world and finding what we can do to be significant.
That path was taken by, in my opinion, one of the greatest ensembles I have ever seen in a drama. The entire cast has this way of making one completely identify or not identify with their actions. We see how everyone starts--naive, raw, rough, intimidated, at times, arrogant and ridiculous. Yet we also experience their growth, admissions of success and failure, and admissions of self-centeredness or guilt.
Behind the ensemble, traversing the path of Misaeng was an exciting and memorable soundtrack. Each piece told a story. I enjoyed the somewhat folk storytelling of the OST tracks because it mirrored the narrative of the day-to-day experience of the office workers. One could argue that the music is a character in and of itself as it travels the visual text.
Through its story, cast, and music, Misaeng took me on a journey. At times, I felt like Jang Geu Rae, wondering and asking myself the same questions. That's what I loved about Misaeng. I'm not an office worker, but I identify with their struggle. I ask myself the same questions. I feel defeated at times. At the end of the day, I'm just an incomplete life looking for completion.
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1Was Definitely A Favorite
Overall: I really enjoyed the balance of realism, the sci-fi element, seriousness and humor. 12 episodes about 45 min each aired on GMMTVs YouTube channel.Content Warnings: punch, ep 1 very side character intimate partner violence, manipulation, alcoholism, manhandling, two more in a comment with a spoiler
What I Liked
- communication, communication, communication (this was soooo refreshing to see adults communicating with each other)
- realistically flawed characters who learned and grew as the series continued, how Kawi was aware of his flaws and actively worked on them and apologized to others when he made mistakes, Pisaeng also had flaws and needed to work on them
- exemplar for showing time passing without a screen that says "3 years later"
- sweet moments
- Max was a supportive friend (and Pear as well)
- discussing social issues but not in an overly preachy way (examples, I don't think I've ever seen a character discuss the pros and cons of alcohol and I thought it was well done, also the way to show lack of medical privileges for same sex couples)
- Pisaeng was a green flag, he gave Kawi space and didn't constantly push his boundaries like I frequently see other characters do, he stopped something when Kawi fell asleep
- Kawi actively sought communication with Pisaeng instead of ghosting
- funny parts, that dancing was awesome in the beginning
- realistic, shows how our dreams fall apart, not everyone is rich and does great in school, our actions have consequences, live in the present
- touching, the parts with his dad, realizing the mistakes he's made
- the dynamic of the leads
- Pear wasn't a cliche female character, she was a fully developed believable human being
- neutral, I'm not a voiceover fan but it didn't bother me too much here
Room For Improvement
- I wish they showed Kawi checking on his dad first (as I think the majority of people would), he came across as a little too selfish with his obsession of being with Pear
- it dragged a bit in places
- in episode 6, Kawi didn't seem drunk enough to pass out
- there was quite a bit of kissing that was camera blocked/zoomed out
- episode 10/1, Pear kind of threw her friend under the bus, she could have just given her own reasons (and there would be plenty of them)
- episode 10/3, I do not agree with Max, there are people who are asexual and/or aromantic who are dating/in healthy and loving relationships
- freaking out over physical affection felt a bit odd because he was actually 10 years older, also that Kawi didn't have a heart to heart more with Pisaeng about it
- having the Pear scenes interspersed with Kawi/Pisaeng in ep 11 part 1 was strange
- Pisaeng had other reasons and I wish he'd given them instead of "you're cute"
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Plot:
The story is based on the historical character Wu Zhetian - the first and only female emperor in Chinese history. From what I have learned about that era, this drama reflects well on major events as well as some minor events. However, this drama focuses more on the romance of the main character. The pace and transition of each saga of her story is well organised.
Characters:
The chemistry between the actors/actresses are really well shown. The actors/actresses casted to portray the characters are well chosen and I cannot ask for better. The acting is well done and there was hardly any cringy acting.
Music:
The opening song really shows the strong Chinese dynasty and goes really well with the clips that are edited with it. After watching her drama, look back at the opening sequence you will feel very emotional as you look at the development of Wu MeiNiang (Wu Zhetian) and her interaction with other characters.
Overall:
This is the longest drama I've ever watched. It went far above my expectations. The makeup, clothing, movement to plot, music and characters are so well put together I don't think anything can be better. I hardly do reviews for dramas but this really worth a recommendation. My favourite part of the drama is the chemistry between Wu MeiNiang and Li ShiMin.
Sadly, the censorship which edited the clothing and scenes which were considered 'inappropriate' slightly ruined the character development and chemistry between some characters.
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